X removes verification badges from Iran's foreign ministry accounts

Iran says the US social media platform X has removed verification badges from accounts associated with its foreign ministry, terming the move “selective censorship” despite those accounts holding paid Premium+ subscriptions.

In a statement shared on X on Tuesday, Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, said the blue verification check mark had been taken off not only his own account but also the official profiles of the ministry and the foreign minister.

He described the step as “arbitrary de-verification,” and claimed it was part of a wider trend aimed at limiting the visibility of what he referred to as information concerning the US-Iran conflict. ""This arbitrary de-verification fits X’s pattern of selective censorship and American digital piracy, aimed at suppressing the truth about the U.S.’ illegal war against Iran," he wrote on X.

There was no immediate response from X regarding the allegation.

Tweet by Esmaeil Baqaei